


Practice Makes Perfect

by weepingnaiad



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Academy Era, First Date, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-06
Updated: 2010-02-06
Packaged: 2017-10-15 10:25:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad/pseuds/weepingnaiad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Summary:</b> Bones needs to get back into the dating scene.  Jim offers to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Practice Makes Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the first ShipWars prompt, First Date, over at the LJ comm, st_respect. And the one caveat on this was that it had a 1000 word limit.
> 
>  **Beta:** my own fabulous CO, Captain Jones, sangueuk
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** The characters and universe belong to Roddenberry, and probably Paramount. I am only borrowing the characters and universe so they can come out and frolic a bit, not intending any copyright infringement of any sort.

Jim rushed into their dorm room and froze. He ducked his head to keep from laughing. Bones had his entire closet strung out on his bed and was nervously pacing between it and the closet.

“Bones! What the hell?”

McCoy whirled around, startled. “Dammit, this is a terrible idea! I can’t believe I let you talk me into it.”

“Calm down. It’s just a date.”

McCoy wiped his palms on his sweat bottoms. From the state of his hair, he had been running his hands through it frequently. “I don’t know anything about dating! I met Joce in high school! I’m too old for this!” He dropped to the bed.

Jim took pity on Bones and asked soothingly, “Can’t figure out what to wear?”

McCoy shook his head and glared at the floor, his shoulders slumping.

“Do you trust me?”

McCoy looked at Jim sideways, his brow wrinkling, but he nodded.

Jim chuckled. “I’m not gonna steer you wrong.” He moved to the bed and picked out a black button down with a grey collar that he loved. It made Bones look even sexier than usual. Jim sighed, wondering why he was cultivating Bones’ dating skills when _he_ wanted to be ‘the date’. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he snagged an old pair of jeans from the pile. They were soft and faded to a pale blue, but he picked them because of the way they hugged Bones’ ass. Perfect.

“Here, wear these.”

“Jim, those jeans are pretty worn.”

“I know, but you don’t want to appear too eager. so this is a compromise… The shirt says you care enough to iron something and the jeans say that you’re not willing to invest too much in the whole thing fussing with new clothes, plus it shows that you’re comfortable in your own skin.”

McCoy gaped at Jim.

“What?” Jim shifted, suddenly uncomfortable under McCoy’s stare. “You think this doesn’t take work?” He waved at himself, grinning madly to dispel the awkward moment. When McCoy didn’t answer, Jim clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll be okay now, right? I need a shower.”

McCoy finally blinked and nodded, still silent.

“Good.” Jim stepped into the small bathroom and leaned against the closed door, his nerves taut, the image of McCoy’s confused eyes consuming him.

McCoy was dressed, but pacing when Jim stepped into the room, a towel around his waist. He shook his head at his friend and tried to ignore how his body reacted to Bones’ ass as he turned away. “Bones, chill out, man. Seriously, pour yourself some bourbon and relax.” His eyes shot to the chrono. “You’ve got fifteen minutes. You keep going like this you’re gonna have a stroke.”

McCoy turned when Jim started talking and he was struck dumb.

Concerned by Bones lack of response, Jim walked to his side. He pushed him down to the sofa and poured two fingers of bourbon which he pressed into McCoy’s hand. “Here, drink up.”

McCoy took the glass automatically and took a large swallow, his eyes downcast. He shook his head. “I can’t go through with this, Jim. I _can’t_.”

Jim pressed a warm hand to McCoy’s shoulder. “It’s not even a real date, Bones. Just a practice run. Won’t be so bad. You’ll see.”

McCoy relaxed into Jim’s touch, but kept his eyes on the floor, his breathing calming.

Jim liked the feeling of McCoy’s muscles under his hand, thought his friend looked damned fine in the black shirt. He was going to have to beat off people once they saw him like this, out of his cadet reds and that ever present scowl gone.

Suddenly conscious that he was practically naked, Jim stood and backed away. “There. Not so hard. Finish that.” Jim’s voice trailed behind him into the bedroom. “And quit over thinking it. It’s not a big deal.”

Problem was Jim wanted it to be a big deal.

Jim dressed quickly; picking out the deep blue shirt that Gaila said intensified the color of his eyes. He rubbed at the stubble on his chin, left the top two buttons open, and ran his hands through his hair instead of bothering with a comb. When he stepped back to the sofa, McCoy swallowed heavily as he looked at Jim.

Jim glanced at the chrono and waved toward the door. “Okay, out. You don’t want to be late.”

“What?” McCoy asked, confused.

“Your date will be waiting.”

McCoy shook his head. “Oh, no. I’m not going…”

Jim pushed him out. “Yes. You. Are. You need to practice.” He shoved McCoy through and hit the switch, closing it between them.

Jim took a deep breath and stared at the door, his heart twisting. He was doing this for Bones and he needed to get over himself and his feelings. _‘Bones is my friend. Bones is off-limits.’_ he repeated.

He jerked when the door chime sounded. Plastering a fake smile on, he opened it. He thought he could do this, could keep his feelings hidden, but Bones was standing there, ducking his head, shyly holding out a red rose. _‘Where the hell did he get a rose?’_ “Bones,” he choked out.

McCoy looked up, his eyes wide and vulnerable, revealing a depth of feelings that sent Jim into a tailspin.

“Jim? Can this be a _real_ date?”

Jim leapt into Bones’ arms, their lips meeting in a mad, passionate frenzy. Neither cared that cadets were staring at them as they passed.

Jim took the crushed flower and sniffed it, grabbing McCoy’s arm and dragging him down the hall. “I had no idea you were such a romantic, Bones. And, contrary to popular belief, I don’t put out on the first date…” echoed down the hall after them.

The End


End file.
